il teatro

1 oz Fernet Branca
1 oz Cynar
1 oz Bianco Vermouth (Dolin Blanc)

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a mint leaf.Two Wednesdays ago, my copy of T. Cole Newton's Cocktail Dive Bar arrived. I initially was lured in by a Punt e Mes recipe, but alas, my bottle needed to be replaced, so I happened on the Il Teatro as a brash substitute. The pairing of equal parts Fernet Branca and Cynar reminded me a little of the Bottecchia but here it was blanc vermouth instead of Campari as the third player. Technically, it should be bianco vermouth since Cole's concept was three Italian ingredients. Once assembled, the Il Teatro met the nose with a mint and menthol bouquet. Next, caramel, white grape, and green herbal notes on the sip opened up to funky vegetal, bitter gentian, and minty flavors on the swallow.